Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 1991 Feb:5 Suppl 1:11-5.
doi: 10.1007/BF00128238.

Propionyl-L-carnitine: biochemical significance and possible role in cardiac metabolism

N Siliprandi  1 , F Di Lisa, R Menabò
Affiliations
Review

Propionyl-L-carnitine: biochemical significance and possible role in cardiac metabolism

N Siliprandi et al. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 1991 Feb.

Abstract

Propionyl-CoA is formed principally during amino acid catabolism. It is then converted chiefly to succinate in a described three-step sequence. Free propionate is formed from propionyl-CoA to a very limited extent, but this anion can participate in a futile cycle of activation and hydrolysis, which can significantly deplete mitochondrial ATP. Free CoA and propionyl-CoA cannot enter or leave mitochondria, but propionyl groups are transferred between separate CoA pools by prior conversion to propionyl-L-carnitine. This reaction requires carnitine and carnitine acetyl transferase, an enzyme abundant in heart tissue. Propionyl-L-carnitine traverses both mitochondrial and cell membranes. Within the cell, this mobility helps to maintain the mitochondrial acyl-CoA/CoA ratio. When this ratio is increased, as in carnitine deficiency states, deleterious consequences ensue, which include deficient metabolism of fatty acids and urea synthesis. From outside the cell (in blood plasma), propionyl-L-carnitine can either be excreted in the urine or redistributed by entering other tissues. This process apparently occurs-without prior hydrolysis and reformation. It is suggested that heart tissue utilizes such exogenous propionyl-L-carnitine to stimulate the tricarboxylic acid cycle (via succinate synthesis) and that this may explain its known protective effect against ischemia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Am J Physiol. 1988 Jul;255(1 Pt 2):H169-76 - PubMed
    1. Biochem J. 1986 Feb 1;233(3):621-30 - PubMed
    1. Pediatr Res. 1980 Oct;14(10):1127-31 - PubMed
    1. FEBS Lett. 1972 Apr 15;22(1):8-10 - PubMed
    1. Biochem J. 1988 Sep 1;254(2):593-8 - PubMed